Article from the Connoverton Daily News
The Most Unique Shop in Connoverton
Somewhere in a mostly forgotten corner of the city sits a coffee shop that always seems to be around when you need it, and always have what you need to help you feel better. The walls are lined with bookshelves displaying curios and books in… disorganized chaos at best. Several mismatched, but nonetheless quite comfortable couches, armchairs, and recliners sprawl around the lounge space. The warm aromas of coffee, tea, and other herbs and spices swirl about the shop, and the quiet hum conversation between other patrons makes for a cozy, comforting environment.
The proprietor, the fantastically lovely Rika Tachibana, is a rather remarkable young woman. Regulars of this curious establishment are likely quite familiar with her hearty laugh, and beaming smile that’s sure to lift any sad soul’s spirit. She’s always ready with a story about her travels, or a book she has read recently that seems so relevant to whatever is bothering you. She is clearly wise beyond her years, and quite well-traveled for one so young.
Most will be dismayed to hear, of course, that she is very happily married. Everyone just calls her husband Bud, but is that truly his name? No one really knows. He is just as warm and welcoming as Rika, but rarely talks about his past. He often quotes books that are obscure, if not seemingly nonexistent. Good luck finding a copy of Theory of Forms by Haloix the Seer. What is most curious about Bud is his appearance. His tan skin has a kind of coppery metallic sheen to it. Of course, it could be some kind of make up? It gives him an almost otherworldly appearance. He also always seems to know what the weather will be, putting local meteorologists to shame.
How is it that the two know just what you need before you even order it? Need a cup of coffee? Rika will bring it to you as you sit down exactly how you like it, maybe even how you never would have thought to. Two sugars and a shot of vanilla? Easy. Oatmilk latte with an extra espresso shot and fresh cherry juice? They even have drinks that, well, are rather impossible to find elsewhere. Where else would you find jevia root tea, perra berry wine, or kakanro?
There are a few, well, oddities that I find a bit perplexing. I swear the paintings move, even more so than the following eyes illusion. I know I’ve seen something on one of the many bookshelves move, in fact I’ve never seen the various décor in the same place twice. And you may be asking why I don’t give the address for the shop so you can experience it for yourself. But… well, that’s just the thing. I always seem to encounter it in a new location, which must be just my imagination, right? But then, when I’ve asked other patrons where the shop is, they have said a wide variety of answers as far off as Tokyo, Japan, to our neighbor city, Seven Gates.
All in all, I can’t possibly recommend Tachibanaya more. If you are lucky enough to stumble upon it, give it a shot. You won’t be sorry.
-Gary Song, Assistant Editor, Connoverton Daily News.
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